The Day I Die
by Invader Mel
Summary: Zim has taken over, and Dib is the sole survivor. He's lost all the ones he's ever loved, and he knows the culprit behind these acts. What will he do about it?
1. Lost to the Past

Lost Earth-The Day I Die  
  
Invader Mel  
  
SUMMARY: Zim has taken over, and Dib is the sole survivor. He's lost all the ones he's ever loved, and he knows the culprit behind these acts.  
  
Prologue Poem thing:  
  
The Day I Die  
  
I hear a voice in my head,  
  
I know that you must be there,  
  
I close my eyes,  
  
I can feel your presence in the air.  
  
Try as I might,  
  
I cannot sleep,  
  
Late at night,  
  
My thought's too hard,  
  
My eyelids deep.  
  
You lay your hand,  
  
Upon my own,  
  
You say it will be all right,  
  
But how can I know?  
  
Mom is gone,  
  
As is Dad,  
  
I've got no place to go.  
  
Gaz was still in a state of shock,  
  
Her eyes lost in a thick haze,  
  
They were of none I've ever known,  
  
And I still can feel her slip away.  
  
When will my life be justified?  
  
When will I be happy?  
  
When is that wonderful day?  
  
When I am not alone?  
  
Drifting, Drifting,  
  
Slowly apart,  
  
My life has gone,  
  
Near comes the part,  
  
I've always feared,  
  
But now I know,  
  
The time has neared,  
  
To justify,  
  
Every lie,  
  
When will be the day I die?  
  
  
  
Written April 14th, 2002  
  
  
  
Chapter 1 - Lost to the Past  
  
Dib sat down on the five-foot cardboard box that served as his chair, bed, table, and closet. He stared deeply into an old, water-stained photograph of the Human Hope, a group of rebels that wanted to save the Earth two years after the Irkens had taken over, and Dib was seventeen. Among them were some of the members of the Swollen Eyeball group when they were eleven through thirteen, including him. Right before Zim had officially conquered, Dib had sent out messages to everyone who signed in with the group, summoning them to his house to organize some plans against the invasion. That's where he met the first and last people to try to help him save the last remnants of his beloved Earth.  
  
Scanning across the photo again, Dib counted off the names of his old companions - Shaya (Shy-uh), Nodac, Laena (Lay-nuh), Dylan, and Vehn. Altogether there were three boys and three girls.  
  
Shaya was thirteen, making her the youngest. She was short, looking only to be about eleven or twelve, with straight, blonde hair. Her eyes were hazel and shone brightly in the sunlight whenever she faced that way. Nodac was his age, with short bluish hair and brown eyes. Her height was at least equal to his and she looked up to him as a hero. Laena stood in between them, at age fourteen, with reddish hair and green eyes.  
  
Though Dylan and Vehn were his friends, Dib rarely talked to them in leisure. The girls usually were more optimistic. Sometimes he liked to escape into a fantasy world, the past, while the guys were pessimistic, dark, and depressive, as they talked of the future. The two were identical twin brothers with short, brown hair, and wore the same green shirt and blue jeans each day. They were 6'3" at age fifteen, looming over the girls except for Nodac. Dib stood at 6'1", and Nodac at 5'11".  
  
Dib recalled a time in which the six had stopped at the side of a river to eat lunch. A time he'd never forget for the rest of his life. It was the beginning and the end of a new awareness; one of which all the world fell victim to melancholy, chaos, and destitution. It was what had led up to his being here, alone. He contemplated silently on those events, years long gone. Zim and a couple other Irken officials had approached them. "Dib. I've finally found you and your little group of rebels. I'd love to just kill you now, but I have other plans in mind. GIR!" A little SIR robot jumped up from behind and clanked his hand against his forehead in obedience. "You need not worry about his incompetence, for I've fixed him up. No longer does he posses any emotions or human stupidity."  
  
"You mean now he only possesses Irken stupidity."  
  
"Silence! You see, ever since I found out that the Tallest had forsaken me to this filthy planet in hopes of my dying, I have taken on a new method of ruling. I have killed the entire remnants of humanity...except for you six. I will kill you one by one, eventually leaving Dib to live out the rest of his life, the only human left on your stinky planet. You will want so much to die, Dib...you'll commit suicide before I even begin to think of killing you."  
  
"NO! You won't do that!"  
  
"Oh no? I think I will. GIR!"  
  
"Yes, my master!"  
  
"Restrain the littlest of the girls."  
  
"Yes, my master!"  
  
"You've made him like a robot," Nodac said.  
  
"He IS a robot, Nodac. And I think I will first kill the one you call Shaya."  
  
"NO!" It was too late. Zim slit her neck with a laser beam and she fell to the ground with blood spilling out of her neck.  
  
Dylan screamed, "Shaya!" They ran to her side and comforted her, while Zim smirked at him evilly.  
  
"She's dead," Dib finally announced, "And you killed her! I swear I'll- " Dylan and Vehn held Dib back as he attempted to strangle Zim in order to gain his revenge.  
  
"I will see you five later," Zim called back as his evil laughter resonated throughout the perimeter. Thereafter, he and his guards left the premises.  
  
"You coward! Come back here! Come back here and face me!" Dib looked up from his meal and tried to get back to reality. Vehn approached him and looked sympathetic.  
  
"He's hit you. And hit you hard. He's using your humanity to your disadvantage," he stated in a downcast way. Dib looked up at Vehn in a quizzical fashion.  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
"He's using your human emotion and want for companionship against you. The one thing that you can hold onto that makes you human is going to work against you."  
  
"You're right. But what can I do?"  
  
"I wish I knew. The way it looks, though, we're all going to die. Except for you."  
  
"But...we're the last humans left."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I can't do this! I can't be the only human on the planet! The only one surviving? I'd have no one to save except for myself! Now that I think of it, humanity's doomed! We're the only ones left! Just five kids left on the planet!"  
  
"I know it sounds bad, but there's not much we can really do."  
  
"Bad? This is horrible! Vehn, I've failed!"  
  
"Don't feel so bad, Dib," Nodac's voice rang out, "It's not your fault, you know."  
  
"Yes it is! I've known Zim ever since he landed on Earth! All those years ago...it was merely a game compared with what I have to put up with now. What is there left to save, anyway? Huh? We're the only ones left. Soon it'll only be me."  
  
"You can still save yourself. Like you said, it's too late to start this planet over. Make the best of what's left in life. Sit down." Dib did so.  
  
"You're right, Nodac. Thanks."  
  
"You're welcome." Nodac sat as well, on the Dylanch facing opposite him.  
  
"It's hard to think I've only known you for less than a year."  
  
"I think it's been longer than that."  
  
"It's only been eight months since we organized the Human Hope."  
  
"Well, I AM a member of the Swollen Eyeballs. Have been ever since I was twelve years old."  
  
"You knew me?"  
  
"Not in person. But I did trail you a couple times and we had a few conversations over the Internet. However, I didn't use my real name."  
  
"What was your code name?"  
  
"What? Don't you recognize Agent Viper?"  
  
"You were Agent Viper?"  
  
"The one and only."  
  
"You said you trailed me. How close did you live?"  
  
"The second house over."  
  
"Wow! When did you trail me?"  
  
"Well, there was that time that you went after Chickenfoot. I think that was mean how your dad said you were "being insane at the moment"! You're not insane! It's just because he's a scientist! Just because someone's into the paranormal doesn't necessarily mean they're crazy!"  
  
"And I don't believe in Chickenfoot!"  
  
"Exactly! Only an absolute moron would. Either that, or someone who really were crazy."  
  
"Yeah. I don't like thinking about the past too much."  
  
"I can understand that, but..."  
  
"But..."  
  
"But why do you always talk about how much better things were?"  
  
"That's because things were better. I had a place to go, I had food to eat each day-three meals per day! That's about how much I eat in a week now!"  
  
"Why do you not like the past?"  
  
"On scale, I do."  
  
"No. Not on scale. Why don't you like your past?"  
  
"I wish...I wish someone would've at least listened to me. I wish someone believed me before that last moment...I wish someone had loved me. Not even my own family loved me."  
  
"That's something to be thankful for today."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You are loved." Dib looked into her eyes and saw true affection. Nodac saw the same. After a brief kiss, they realized their current situation.  
  
"Shaya is dead. Zim might seek you next."  
  
"It is just death. We all face it eventually."  
  
"Yes, but it shouldn't be by murder. And besides, I wouldn't let harm come to you. He's not going to kill you without a fight from me. And I'm sure that everyone else will help too. We're all here to look out for the human race, and, well, we're the human race. One person is twenty percent of the human population on this planet. It's a sad number, but we can't change it now. Our job is to make sure it doesn't get any lower. We all will look out for each other, no matter who he targets next."  
  
"Thanks. Thanks a lot. It does frighten me, though. To think that we're all that's left...it makes me feel somewhat important, in a way. I don't see how."  
  
"I see how. We're humanity's last hope; and yet, we're humanity."  
  
"A paradox in itself."  
  
"Sort of. We have lived, and just to save ourselves. I don't really see how significant a role we play, but-"  
  
"It still seems like we're the select few chosen to make a difference."  
  
"That's exactly what I mean. I'm glad you made it. I don't rejoice over Shaya's death, but I'm glad you're okay."  
  
"Me too, Dib. Me too." 


	2. Struck Down

Chapter 2 - Struck Down  
  
It was quiet in the absolute dead of night. Though quiet it was, it was anything but tranquil. Because of Shaya's passing, Dib made certain that there was not one moment that Nodac was alone during all hours. A whisper broke the grip of silence in which the restless night clung to so dearly. Once again, more pronounced this time, the whisper resounded with a penetrating sharpness. "Dib, wake up!"  
  
With a start, Dib reached for his glasses and set them over his eyes, fearing the worst to be the call of distress. As his vision focused, he discovered that there was no one in the room but him and Nodac. Being sure not to let anyone hear his voice beyond the thin walls of their temporary complex, Dib kept his speech low. In perplexity and drowsiness, he asked, "What is it?"  
  
"I wanted to talk to you." Rubbing the last stubborn remnants of sleep from his eyes, Dib could identify the relevance of whatever it was she had to say. "It's about the world. Any one of us could be the next person, except for you."  
  
"You have a motive for waking me. What is it?"  
  
"I wanted to talk to you. You know what it's like; we all do. We've lost our family. We've lost everyone, except for ourselves. I have a question: How do you deal with it? How is it that you're able to handle this?"  
  
"Well...it has a lot to do with determination. I am determined to do something to save the rest of the human race, but we're all that's left. I guess we have to decide what's best for us. How do we save ourselves?"  
  
"I don't know. We'll work something out. I'll call a meeting tomorrow to discuss it."  
  
"That sounds like a good plan. Goodnight Nodac."  
  
"Dib?"  
  
"Yes Nodac?"  
  
"Tomorrow I want to look at some old pictures and reminisce about the old times."  
  
"I told you about how much I don't like the past..."  
  
"No. I mean the good things about it. The things that made us laugh. The things we enjoyed. The things we savored from existence. Everything that makes going on worth going on."  
  
"I could use that. It'll help elevate my spirits, that's for sure." A shot rang out and a silence more deathly and forbidding than before blanketed their total being and outlook on life, for they knew that yet another had been struck down. 


	3. Forbidding Memories

Chapter 3 - Forbidding Memories  
  
Dylan had been killed, leaving Vehn to suffer until the time for him would come. The next morning, Dib slowly and discreetly descended the stairway down to where he found Vehn still holding Dylan. With the aid of a flicker of life spurting from the dead pit of a fireplace, the only sign to show that something had once lived, Vehn's solemn glare shown. It was like nothing Dib had ever seen, and he yet again swore vengeance on Zim.  
  
"That Zim! What has he done? I'll tell you, what he's done! He's killing us, and I'm going to be left to die, ALONE!"  
  
"No, you're not, Dib." Vehn's voice penetrated his train of thought in an abrupt sort of reassurance.  
  
"What?"  
  
"No, you're not. Before Dylan died, we three made an agreement to protect you and Nodac. Zim's not going to kill her, no matter what. We're here to save humanity. We've got to do the right thing for you and her."  
  
"You really mean that?"  
  
"Yes, Dib. You aren't going to be alone after all. You're going to live. And so is Nodac."  
  
"That's the best thing I've ever heard."  
  
"Laena and I are prepared to die for your safety. We want only for your happiness."  
  
"Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you. I've never really had a friend before, so I really don't know what to say."  
  
"We're not just a bunch of kids out here forced to be together. We've gained a special bond. A bond that is our last attempt to save ourselves from the insanity of this world. A last attempt to regain our past."  
  
"Vehn?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What are we going to do?"  
  
"I wish I knew the answer to that question. I wish I knew." 


	4. Remembering

Chapter 4 - Remembering  
  
Dib walked back into his room after breakfast, Nodac following right behind. "Nodac, when I tell you this, you'll know why I like the past so much," Nodac sat beside him, listening with a caring interest. "I have...I used to have...a sister. Her name is Gaz." Dib took out a photograph of Gaz from his drawer, and Nodac inquired,  
  
"Is that her?"  
  
"Yes. It was taken before that day when Zim took over. An earthquake had taken the city, and Gaz was escaping out through the window. I knew that Zim was out there, and tried my hardest to get her back inside the house. I failed. She fell out onto the pavement and Zim crushed her."  
  
"In a big machine?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I was hiding in my old tree house at the time. I was horrified. Dib, I'm so sorry. You two must've been really close."  
  
"No. We weren't very close. That's probably my deepest regret. I never got to tell her that I really did care."  
  
"I'm sure she understands."  
  
"Thanks. That helps a lot."  
  
"Who would've known when you were twelve years old that you'd end up here? You deserve much greater."  
  
"You deserve much greater than I. You're not going to die. If Zim targets you next, I'd rather have myself die."  
  
"Just promise me this."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just promise me that you will never give yourself up willingly. Not even for me. If we don't fight against Zim, there is no hope."  
  
"We're the only ones left though."  
  
"No. Some people escaped. There are some people who lived."  
  
"I call a group meeting."  
  
"As do I." 


	5. The Meeting

Chapter 5 - The Meeting  
  
"NO! Everybody's coming! You two are not going to die alone!"  
  
"We aren't going to die alone. We're still here together," Vehn informed.  
  
"It still doesn't seem right. Why should I have to leave you two alone and go only with Nodac? Don't you want to go where there's people?"  
  
"We'd like to, but it's just not practical."  
  
"Practical? Zim's conquered the planet! How can you even define practical?"  
  
"Listen, Dib. If just you two are missing, it won't be as suspicious. We'll hold up the fort."  
  
"But he'll ask what happened!"  
  
"Well, he said that you'd want to commit suicide. Why don't we say that you committed suicide and that Nodac followed suit because of it?"  
  
"I still don't feel right about it."  
  
"You must," Laena said, "We'll be here, and we'll be fine. You need to go. Good luck, you two. I wish you both a long and happy life."  
  
"Thanks. Are you sure you'll be okay?"  
  
"Yes. You can leave at the first light."  
  
"Thank you so much you two. You've been with us since Zim took over...I don't know what I'd do without you. You people were my first and only friends in the world. Thank you."  
  
"You have to go, Dib. And Nodac, too. You're our only hope."  
  
"Nodac, let's go get our things packed for tomorrow."  
  
"Okay." They treaded upstairs to their room, both feeling happy that there was a new hope of saving humanity, and yet saddened at having to leave their friends behind. After packing the initial necessities, Dib sat on his bed and stared out into space.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah. I guess so."  
  
"You don't feel comfortable leaving Vehn and Laena behind, do you?"  
  
"No. It just doesn't seem right. Why should they stay here?"  
  
"They're trying to save us. Being sympathetic won't make any difference. They're obstinate. They won't leave."  
  
"We've got to talk some sense into them."  
  
"I'd hate to leave them too, but we don't have any choice. Now, get your knapsack and get ready to cover our tracks tomorrow. We've got a long trip ahead of us. Where exactly are we going, anyway?"  
  
"I've got a map leading to it. Apparently, before Zim's mass murder, one of the towns we passed through slipped me a map of their plans for this place without my knowing it. It's not even certain that this place exists at all."  
  
"Still, it's worth a try."  
  
"And it's our only hope."  
  
"Try to sleep. You'll need it." As hard as he tried, he couldn't sleep a wink. 


	6. First Light

Chapter 6 - First Light  
  
(With the song "Dreaming While You Sleep", by Genesis) NOTE: I changed a couple words in the song to make it fit, but it's only as minor as "him" instead of "her" and "he" instead of "I". By the way, I don't know the tune to this song, but I've got the lyrics...I am a strange person indeed.  
  
  
  
Quickly, Vehn, Laena, Dib, and Nodac loaded up their car-Dylan and Vehn had found a broken-down car and repaired it a couple weeks ago-and began to drive along the most discreet of all paths. A storm was approaching, and Dib thought quietly to himself about the disadvantage that the rain would put Zim. As they drove on, the deserted city merged with the forest; earlier travelers had cleared a path and paved it with asphalt. A sudden change in temperature and visibility was noticeable, and Nodac began to shiver considerably. Her shivering grew into jolts, and her head seemed loose.  
  
-In and out of darkness, in and out of sleep-  
  
"Nodac, what's wrong? Nodac? Nodac, speak to me!"  
  
-Trying to keep my hands upon the wheel, Never saw the corner in the driving rain-  
  
A shadowy figure lurked in the darkness, snickering slightly in the wake of his evil plan. He crept out of hiding and prepared to attack...  
  
-I never saw him step into the street-  
  
The figure leapt out and jumped Nodac. He threw her out of the car, and pressed a laser to her neck. Jerking awake, she screamed.  
  
"HELP!" Dib stopped the car, but as soon as he got out, the intruder spoke:  
  
"Move any closer and she gets it!" He stood, frozen, as the shadowy figure pulled out a gleaming silver knife. "I think I'd prefer to kill her with one of your primitive weapons. That way you can see her blood trickle out as the life drains from her." He pressed it to her neck, and began a gentle sawing motion, thoroughly enjoying every bit of terror in their faces. Her face grew pale, her eyes blank. Finishing with a violent sweep of the knife, the figure dashed back into the trees and darkness, showing his face for one moment in time.  
  
-Dreaming while you sleep / memories to keep / dreaming while you sleep-  
  
Dib fled in terror, and drove off.  
  
-I can never understand what went through my mind, I didn't stop to see what he had done, I had to keep driving deep into the night, The miles between would somehow put it right-  
  
As he drove on, he pictured Nodac, slaughtered, lying at the side of the road. He remembered the petrified look on her face, and realized that he wore that exact expression.  
  
-Dreaming while you sleep / memories to keep / dreaming while you sleep, All my life you lie silently there - All my life in a world so unfair, All my life - and only I'll know why and it will live inside of me, I will never be free - all my life - trapped in her memory all my life, Till the day that you open your eyes, please open your eyes-  
  
Dib remembered the walkie-talkie he had been given by Vehn, so he could communicate with them and reassure that they were okay. He picked it up, and flicked the switch.  
  
"Vehn? Vehn! Vehn, are you there? Vehn, please, respond!"  
  
"What's wrong with you? We're okay."  
  
"Nodac."  
  
"What about her? Is she okay?"  
  
"No."  
  
"No? What happened?"  
  
"Zim jumped us and...he had a knife...I couldn't stop him..."  
  
"He-you mean-she's-"  
  
"I-don't know."  
  
"You don't know? Find out! See if her heart's beating."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"What do you mean 'you can't'?"  
  
"She's still there."  
  
"What do you-you didn't actually LEAVE her there, did you? Did you? Dib, you-" He turned the walkie-talkie off, and dug into his pocket for something. It was his mother's wedding ring.  
  
-Dreaming while you sleep / dreaming while you sleep, Heard it on the radio, saw it on TV, but could I take my secret to the grave? If I had another chance would I do the same, would I still deny that I was there? Dreaming while you sleep / Are you dreaming while you sleep?-  
  
As he drove on, he lifted the ring and imagined how the night would've been if it weren't for Zim. He imagined asking Nodac the most important question of his life, withdrawing the ring from his pocket, and slipping it on her finger. He could visualize the ceremony to come as though it had already happened. Most of all, he could picture his life afterward. Then Vehn's disgust of his actions crowded into his mind and trampled his dreams.  
  
-All my life I'll be haunted by - all my life - just one moment in time, All my life - until the day I die, and it will live inside of me, I will never be free - all my life - trapped in her memory, All my life - till the day that you open your eyes-  
  
With a screech of the brakes, he stopped the car and turned around. Going back the road he went down, he pushed his foot down on the gas pedal.  
  
"Let's see what this car can do," he muttered, as the speedometer's needle passed 60, 70, and 80...it stopped at 84 miles. Disturbing the nearby animals, he sped down the jagged road. When he came upon the spot he had fled, he found Nodac, and picked up her lifeless form. Suddenly, he recalled Vehn's history with medicine. He flicked the walkie-talkie on. "Vehn! Vehn, come in!"  
  
"I'm not going to speak to you, Dib! You let Nodac down. I thought you loved her."  
  
"I do. I wasn't thinking! I'm back with her, and her heart's beating. She's lost a lot of blood, though, and the front of her neck is cut. You know about medicine, and I need your help to save her."  
  
"Is the esophagus punctured?"  
  
"Where's that?"  
  
"It's the tube that carried food down the throat."  
  
"Oh-no, it's not."  
  
"That's good. Are any veins cut?"  
  
"Yes-two of them. He didn't cut very far, thank God."  
  
"It may not be necessary for him to have cut far. Are they thick veins?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That's not good. Do you have any way to regenerate the broken seal?"  
  
"She doesn't have worm genes, Vehn! I'm out in the forest, many miles from you and Laena, and you're the closest people! What do I have out here that can save Nodac's life?"  
  
"Look in the first-aid kit I got you and Nodac. But first, what blood type do you have?"  
  
"O positive."  
  
"And Nodac?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Look in the first-aid kit. It should have a record of all of our blood types in case of emergency." He rummaged through the kit, and finally pulled it out.  
  
"Uh...O positive."  
  
"Fantastic! She'll have lost some blood after recovery."  
  
"Vehn, she hasn't recovered yet! How do I join the two veins in the middle of the forest?"  
  
"I wouldn't know how. Wait-don't you have that chemical isolation device that you stole from Zim once?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. Why?"  
  
"Find a worm, and isolate the chemical that makes it regenerate if it loses a segment or two. Then, take the eyedropper from the first-aid kit and put only a small drop on the severed veins. Don't use more-it could possibly be poisonous to have too much, because it's from a worm."  
  
"Okay. Thanks."  
  
"Be sure to bring her right back when you think you can. It is important that you don't draw blood from yourself without knowing how or how much; it's dangerous."  
  
"Okay." He dug into the moist soil, eventually finding a couple of earthworms. The small device analyzed it, and isolated the chemical in liquid form. He administered the liquid upon her veins, and waited with her. After a few hours, late into the night, he felt it was sufficiently healed. "Okay Vehn, now what do I do?"  
  
"There are materials to sew up wounds. Have you ever sewn before?"  
  
"Er...no."  
  
"Well, don't sew deep down. Just on the surface. It's just temporary until you can get back. It's obvious that Zim knows your whereabouts. You can't proceed to the hidden human colony."  
  
"I see the materials...wish me luck."  
  
"Okay. Break a leg. Though not literally, of course."  
  
"No time to waste." He began to sew the slit as best as he could, and finished about an hour later. On the way back, he drove very slowly, to ensure that she would be safe. When he reached their hideout, Laena and Vehn carried Nodac to her room, where she was to be accompanied by Laena.  
  
"How could you let this happen? I thought you were going to take care of her!"  
  
"I tried. But I failed. I don't deserve for her to be my wife."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was going to ask her to marry me." Dib reached into his coat, fishing for the ring. "Where is it?"  
  
"Where is what?"  
  
"The ring! The ring I planned to give Nodac! It belonged to my mother!"  
  
"Where did you have it last?"  
  
"I took it out when I left Nodac." It struck him how horrible what he'd done was. "I thought about what I was leaving behind: my hopes, dreams, love, and future."  
  
"Do you still want to marry her?"  
  
"Why wouldn't I?"  
  
"Maybe because you felt too ashamed of what you did to her. Leaving someone to die is pretty serious."  
  
"I can't believe I did that to her."  
  
"You were shocked. I'm sure she'll understand...once she comes to, that is."  
  
"I'm going to go see her." He entered the room, Laena taking the cue to leave, and took her hand. Dib noticed something on her hand-his mother's wedding ring. Discreetly, he tried to slip the ring off her finger, but she merely turned over on her side. "Are you all right? Can you hear me?" She blinked her eyes open, then let a smile spread slowly across her face.  
  
"Yes," she said, her voice quavering.  
  
"You're going to have that sore throat for a while." He paused for a bit, then added, "I have some candy for you." Candy was rare, for factories no longer were in service, and even one piece of candy had gained the worth of gold.  
  
"Thank...you..." She fell back into sleep, and Laena took charge of guarding Nodac. After a brief conversation with Vehn, he, too, turned in for the night. 


	7. The Morning’s Discovery

Chapter 7 - The Morning's Discovery  
  
Nodac awoke with an ache in her neck. Laena, upon visiting her, was pleased to inform her that her neck was beginning to heal. Putting a hand to her face, Nodac realized that something was on her ring finger. Not surprisingly, it was a ring.  
  
"Laena, look at this!" she said. Laena rushed forth.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"This ring!"  
  
"Isn't it yours?"  
  
"No-but I know who it belongs to."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Dib. It was his mother's, before she died. It's his most treasured possession! He'd never give it to me!"  
  
"May I have a look?"  
  
"Sure, but be careful." Laena twiddled it in her fingers, and marveled at the 14-karat gold band and diamonds that were embedded within; her eyes glistened with envy at the sight of the platinum plate with a large, diamond set in the middle.  
  
"Are you sure he didn't give it to you for what happened? I know he has loads of guilt for leaving you at first."  
  
"Quite sure. This is so valuable...his mother's own wedding ring..."  
  
"Wait-did you say 'wedding ring'?"  
  
"Well, yes, but I don't see how-"  
  
"It's his mother's WEDDING ring, Nodac! Don't you realize what this means?"  
  
"You mean-he wants to marry me?"  
  
"Seems to make sense."  
  
"Do you really think so?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Laena...have you ever thought of marrying Vehn?"  
  
"What? No, no, I'm much too young. I'm only fourteen."  
  
"Well, yes, but...things have changed. We may even be some of the last people existing. We might be the last humans ever to walk this Earth."  
  
"I'll talk to Vehn. Now, rest, you shouldn't exhaust your throat so recently after an accident." Laena left the room, and returned shortly afterward. "They're ready for you."  
  
"What do you mean, Laena?"  
  
"Come out and see!" She led Nodac to the other room, anticipating her reaction. Dib and Vehn immediately pulled up a chair for her, and she thanked them.  
  
"What is this?"  
  
"It's a get-well-soon party for you."  
  
"Oh...thank you, but I don't deserve it. Dib saved my life, and-"  
  
"-you almost died at his hands." Vehn was serious, and showed no emotion. He glared viciously across the room at Dib, and concentrated his anger toward him. "Nodac, don't be tricked by him. He's going to ask you to marry him, but you can't accept. He fled when Zim ran off, and left you there-to DIE. What kind of husband would he make?"  
  
"Vehn, what are you saying?" Nodac almost had tears at her eyes.  
  
"I'm saying that Dib is just some treacherous filth that would rather have you die than risk his own life to save you."  
  
"That's not the reason I left!" Dib protested.  
  
"Then why DID you flee when Nodac was about to die?"  
  
"I was horrified. I saw my enemy attack her with a knife, and I thought she was dead. I couldn't handle it."  
  
"I don't believe a word of that! Nodac, you can't marry him. He's just proven himself rotten, not the hero you're making him out to be. I'm just concerned about your safety!"  
  
Nodac decided to speak up and said, "I don't believe that you would say these things, Vehn, about the person who saved my life!"  
  
"Only when I convinced him to go back and told him how to do it! He made no effort to save you! He doesn't care about humanity. All he cares about is himself."  
  
"That's not true," Nodac said defiantly, as she stormed back into her room. Dib followed shortly after.  
  
"Don't believe what he said. I would never leave you for dead."  
  
"I know that. But you can't stay here. He'd probably kill you if he had the chance. I've never seen him so angry."  
  
"I just have one question I'd still like to ask you."  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"Will you...would you like...do you think...maybe we could...here goes: Will you marry me?"  
  
"I'd be honored." Nodac fell asleep within minutes, and he rested her back on her bed before getting into his own and dreaming of the future, though this time not in despair. 


	8. Divided

Chapter 8 - Divided  
  
"Vehn doesn't want me around, and Laena is sure to follow whatever he says! She's only 14; she may not know what to think. I have to leave."  
  
"And leave us all here to die? Zim hasn't exactly removed his threat of killing us all, yet! Maybe Vehn WAS right!"  
  
"No, he's not! I want you to come, too."  
  
"And what about Laena? She's my friend, too."  
  
"You can talk to her, but if she doesn't want to go, that's her choice."  
  
"I'm starting to think that I shouldn't have been so eager to accept marriage from you."  
  
"Please, don't say that!"  
  
"Don't tell me what to say!"  
  
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way!"  
  
"The more I think of it, your idea of leaving is getting better and better."  
  
"Do you think you can leave tonight?"  
  
"Me? You're the one who's leaving!" Nodac threw his suitcase at his face.  
  
"You...really want me to leave?"  
  
"Yes." Nodac looked defiantly at him. "Do you actually consider leaving us?" How dare you! I was wrong to ever fool myself into thinking you had humanity's best interests at heart!"  
  
"I do, I promise, just give me a chance!" Nodac, unconvinced, took off the ring she had been given, dropped it in Dib's hand, and left with tears. He stared at it, and then sat. It was too much of a shock for him to take at once. As he sat, a book fell to the floor. Picking it up, he noticed that it read: "The Lost Language of the Stars." It had a foreword explaining that almost every language of the world originated from a core language introduced by extraterrestrials. The language itself was entitled CAL, Core Alien Language, by the author. He began to read, enthralled, and couldn't stop. Interested in seeing if he knew of the author, he looked at the front cover, his eyes opening wide in shock.  
  
Nodac Repknl. Nodac had written it. The back had her picture on it and a brief description of herself. Acting on a hunch, he looked up her first and last name.  
  
"Nodac-someone's ancestry, or home. Repknl-devotion to, or love for." He flipped through it some more, and found what he was looking for. Dib committed to memory a short, simple sentence, and waited a few minutes for dinner to be called.  
  
Sure enough, Laena walked in, looking angry, and said, "Dinner's ready." 'Nodac must have told her about what happened,' Dib thought. "And by the way, you'd better not ruin anyone else's lives around here." She walked back to the second room, where the four joined at the table in uncomfortable silence. While eating his meal, he looked at Nodac with sorrowful eyes, as if asking forgiveness. When she saw him, she scowled and resumed eating.  
  
The meal was devoured in silence, and when they finished, Nodac went promptly to her room. Dib followed, ignoring Vehn's murmurs, and put his hand on her shoulder. She turned immediately.  
  
"Don't sneak up on me like that!"  
  
"I'm sorry. I just wanted a word with you."  
  
"Okay. Fine. What is it you want to say?"  
  
"Nodac nle," he began in the Core Alien Language as he took her hand, "Adi adius acliadius." Nodac's eyes widened in realization. Dib said to her in English, "Dearest Nodac, I love, deeply."  
  
"You-How do you-?"  
  
"I read some of your book. It's quite impressive that you were able to gather a complete dictionary."  
  
"I called it the Core Alien Language when I wrote the book, but that's just to make it easier for the audience reading it. The language is actually called the Kareire (Kuh-reh-ee-reh)."  
  
"It's fascinating work. How is it that your name is in the Kareire language?"  
  
"My parents were fluent. I grew up with it. I'm almost fluent."  
  
"Say something to me."  
  
"Something."  
  
"Very funny. I mean, say something in Kareire."  
  
"Qytla. The word 'something' in Kareire."  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"Well, I could swear and tell dirty jokes, but there's something else that I'd rather say."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Dib nle, Adi adius acliadius."  
  
"We're back on speaking terms, then?"  
  
"Yes. It means much more than that." Nodac outstretched her hand, and Dib slipped the ring back on. 


	9. The Visitor

Chapter 9 - The Visitor  
  
"No!" Vehn shouted when Nodac announced her engagement to Dib for the second time. "You can't do this!"  
  
"I find your motives for keeping me apart from Dib suspicious."  
  
"Yes, Vehn," Laena said, "I sometimes think that you still want Nodac available."  
  
"No! That's not what I've been doing. I just don't want her to be in danger. If she marries him, Zim will kill Nodac brutally and Dib will have to watch just before his own death, like Shaya and my brother."  
  
"What?" Nodac asked.  
  
"Dylan proposed to Shaya just before we encountered Zim. I had planned the same for Laena, but decided against it that day. Us meeting Zim was no accident. Zim knows where we are and what goes on. He's trying to get you two to marry in order to speed up his ultimate revenge on you. That's why he only slit Nodac's neck a little bit, but made it seem horrifying. That's why he wrote a note in Laena's name reminding me to pack the first-aid kit and to include the materials for a slit neck, and that's why he made it consistent: killing both Shaya and Dylan by cutting their necks open, in order to make the note less conspicuous. It's an elaborate plan to kill you, Dib, but it's not going to work, because I've got him figured out."  
  
"But why would Zim only kill after someone's married?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Lnixq rhe kodi. He is dishonest." Laena was indignant.  
  
"How dare you accuse Vehn of lying!"  
  
"No, not Vehn...Zim. It's too convenient. He's trying to make it seem like that."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"To get Vehn to unknowingly carry out his wishes-that Dib and I don't marry."  
  
"Why would he want that?"  
  
"Maybe the same reason you suspected Vehn was trying to separate us-to try to keep me available."  
  
"No way. You're a human, and he's a disgruntled, insane Irken invader who despises humans!"  
  
"Yes way. Why do you think he captured Shaya?"  
  
"Captured? Don't you mean killed?"  
  
"Maybe not. Remember how when Dylan screamed and he gave that devious smile? It's as though he was bragging. Dylan had been threatened with Shaya's life before, so it was a sort of hostage. However, when he realized that Dylan would tell us about him and his plan would be ruined, he killed him later that night. He's not after you this time, Dib. He's after me."  
  
"But why do you think Shaya's alive?"  
  
"Simple. Like I said, she's his hostage. He plans on Dib and I not to get married, capture Laena as a second hostage, and make Vehn believe Dib killed her. Vehn would kill Dib, and his vengeance is complete."  
  
"But you said he was after you."  
  
"Well, then I guess that means I'm off the mark in my theory."  
  
"Nodac?"  
  
"Yes Dib?"  
  
"Could you teach me some more Kareire words?" A smile appeared on her face.  
  
"I'd be delighted." A laser beam sounded, followed by Zim's screechy voice instructing his robot.  
  
"Nodac! Dib! Hide!" Vehn shouted. Dib grabbed Nodac's hand, and they ran into their room. Zim was there, waiting for them.  
  
"Hand the girl over." Dib glared into his enemy's eye.  
  
"Stay away from her!"  
  
"I'm afraid I can't, Dib, for she is what I came for."  
  
"You'll have to kill me first."  
  
"I'd be glad to." Zim withdrew a long, laser that resembled a light saber, and aimed it at Dib's throat. He ducked under, and dashed across the room. With sudden horror, he realized that he had left Nodac where Zim was, and he now threatened to cut her neck open with it. "Goodbye, Dib!" Zim said. He put the laser away, replaced it with a small device, and transported them back to his base. Dib reached them just a second after they disappeared. He darted out to the room where Vehn and Laena were.  
  
"He took Nodac!"  
  
"We've got to find his base. You've known him for longer than us. What kind of place would Zim hide out?"  
  
"Someplace obvious."  
  
"But where?" Laena said.  
  
"Maybe the Whitehouse," Vehn joked.  
  
"That's just the kind of place he'd be! Hurry, get you're things, we're going to the Whitehouse!"  
  
"Wait-I was only joking. Let's not jump to conclusions. Imagine if we were wrong. Taking a trip all the way to the Whitehouse, and by the time we'd realize that he's not there, she'd be dead. We've got to think logically."  
  
"Let's try his old base. His robot was sentimental before Zim fixed him up. Maybe he's still there."  
  
"Good plan." They each grabbed a weapon-Laena, a sword, Vehn, a gun, Dib, a laser-and hopped in the car. As they neared the house, the saw an enormous telescope sticking out of it, along with high-tech security cameras everywhere. They followed the car with their lenses, but they stopped the engine and got out of the car halfway to the house.  
  
"Zim!" Dib yelled. "How about a fight! Just us three against you! What, are you scared? Aren't you supposed to be the 'superior being'?" The door opened, and Zim instructed Gir to wait for him.  
  
"Fine! You'll have a fight! But tell your friends to go! I want to kill you without any hindrances."  
  
"Sure. Just give Nodac back!"  
  
"I'm afraid that's impossible. And don't try to sneak into my base while fighting, either! I programmed it to vaporize any human being that steps inside!"  
  
"Then where's Nodac?"  
  
"Oh, she's in my Voot Runner-" Zim clasped his hands over his mouth.  
  
"Head for his Voot Runner!" The three ran towards his Voot, but Zim stopped Dib.  
  
"You wanted a fight. Here it is." Zim pulled out his laser gun and aimed it in between the eyes. "Say your prayers, human..." He shot it, but it didn't do anything. "What? I didn't set it to strengthen! Piece of junk!" Zim tossed it to the ground in anger, and Dib picked it up. Hastily, he adjusted it to kill. He aimed it at Zim, ready to blow his brains out.  
  
"Say YOUR prayers, ALIEN!"  
  
"Wait! You can't kill me!"  
  
"Shove it, Zim. Nothing's going to stop me now from doing what I should've done a long time ago! You killed my father, you killed my sister, two of my friends, and I have the suspicion that you were involved in my mother's death as well! You've killed everyone and everything in your path that I ever cared about! Now, act like a man and die noble!" His hand that held the gun quivered, as he prepared to pull the trigger.  
  
"If you kill me now, you'll be killing Nodac, too. She's brainwashed, just like Shaya. She thinks she loves me, and will do anything for me...including kill you. I saw you and your Earth friends pitifully trying to guess my plan, when it was right there in front of you the whole time. I was trying to hypnotize those that you love to kill you, making your deaths even more painful and full of suffering. Now, if you don't pull that trigger, I can bring her out of it and figure out some other way to kill you."  
  
"How do I know?"  
  
"How do you know what?"  
  
"How do I know that you'll save her? I can't risk her life, too. I need proof."  
  
"I can give no proof! Hold the gun on me the whole time, for all I care, but don't pull that trigger! If you want to marry her, you'll have to trust me. Just once. Don't pull that trigger, or you'll regret it."  
  
"I can't do that. I can't trust you."  
  
"Not even for Nodac? The one you claim to love beyond anything else? I've been spying on you for some time now, and I know where you're life's gone. You depend on her. You need her. Just don't pull that trigger. You won't find any other way."  
  
"I'll make her remember me. I'll find a way. She can't forget me. She loves me just as I love her."  
  
"You are a sad, pitiful thing, Dib. She won't be able to remember, no matter how much she wants too. It would be hopeless."  
  
"I can't trust you. You have to die. You have to die!" He pulled the trigger, and Zim fell down to the pavement. Not a twitch. Not a single motion. He was dead. In merely a second's time, before he could say anything of importance. He was dead. There was no way to revive him had someone aimed wrongfully.  
  
"Help!" Laena and Vehn came running out from where the Voot was concealed, followed by Nodac, attempting to attack them. Dib ran to where they were, and tried to restrain her. She fought, despite the fact that he was reassuring her.  
  
"What have you done to Zim?" Nodac jumped out of his arms and lifted Zim's lifeless body. Dib had to endure a sickening, horrifying moment-Nodac kissed Zim. "What have you done? What have you DONE? He's DEAD!" She ran, carrying him, back to his base.  
  
"Nodac! Nodac! Wait! You'll be vaporized!" Dib tore after her, and when he neared, tackled her. "ARE YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED?" She struggled, kicking and screaming; whatever she thought might work, she tried. It was a constant effort to hold onto her, and he needed the assistance of Laena and Vehn to get her sitting down in the car. Vehn drove, while Dib and Laena attempted to calm Nodac down.  
  
"Nodac, Zim just tried to kill Dib! How could you love him for that?"  
  
"Dib is the enemy! He's trying to kill Zim! And he did! Please, let me go, please!"  
  
"Nodac, Zim brainwashed you. You're engaged to Dib. Look at your ring finger." Nodac looked.  
  
"It's pretty."  
  
"It used to be Dib's mother's. Remember how when Zim attacked you by slitting your neck, he slipped it on your finger. The next morning you discovered it, and accepted. Don't you remember all that?"  
  
"No! Stop trying to mess around with my mind!"  
  
"She's not," Dib said. "I really do love you." He kissed her, but she pulled away.  
  
"What are you doing? You're my enemy!"  
  
"I'm sorry, I thought you'd remember."  
  
"Get away! Go! Don't hurt me!"  
  
"That's the last thing I want."  
  
"Let me go! Get me out of here!" Nodac thrashed about violently, in hopes of heaving herself out of the moving car and getting away.  
  
"Nodac, don't! Everything's going to be okay!"  
  
"Don't fool me! I know you're just after Zim!"  
  
"Nodac, that's not-"  
  
"I WON'T HEAR ANOTHER WORD!" She sat there, sobbing; they could only watch, unless they wished to perturb her more. When at last they reached home, they managed to get her to stay put on her bed.  
  
"Dib, what are you, INSANE? The only person who could help us get Nodac back you blew the brains out of! What were you thinking?" Vehn yelled furiously at his actions.  
  
"I...don't know. He's destroyed so much...my life, my family..."  
  
"He's done that to ALL of us!"  
  
"Yes. But you didn't know him when you still had the chance to stop him." He approached Nodac, and took her hand. She slapped him. They stood there long into the night, waiting for Nodac's memory to come back.  
  
"Why don't we retire for the night?"  
  
"Go on. I'll stay here." Laena and Vehn left, and Dib turned to Nodac in the darkness. "Nodac? Nodac nle?" When he called her "Nodac nle", ("Dearest Nodac") something sparked in her eyes. They shone with the light of the moon and a passion for life. Seeing this, he proceeded. "Nodac nle, Adi adius acliadius." Her eyes widened, and she fell backward, landing on her pillow. "Nodac! Nodac nle! Are you okay?"  
  
Her eyes fluttered open, and when her vision came, she shot straight up. "What? What's happened? Dib?"  
  
"You're okay. You're going to be okay. You're going to be okay!" He hugged her, and when he let go, Nodac said,  
  
"When's the wedding going to be?"  
  
"As soon as you like."  
  
"How about tomorrow?"  
  
"Tomorrow, then. Let's tell the others." 


End file.
